Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI): Guidance for Practitioners
Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) together undertake a programme of Joint Targeted Area Inspections (JTAIs) in a local area.
JTAI is an inspection of the local area arrangements and how leaders, managers and practitioners work together across the local authority, police, health providers and partner services to safeguard children and promote their welfare.
Ofsted’s National Director for Social Care, Eleanor Schooling said:
“The responsibility of safeguarding cannot rest with one agency alone. These inspections will provide a comprehensive picture of how several agencies work together in an area to ensure children are safe.
The joint approach will allow us to act swiftly where we are concerned about specific issues in an area so we can ensure that every agency is doing its part. Equally, it will give us an important opportunity to look at good practice and really understand how local areas are tackling the challenges they face. We are confident these inspections will support improvement and have a positive impact on the experiences of children and young people.”
What does JTAI focus on?
There are currently two types of JTAI inspection:
– One type evaluates the multi-agency response to identification of initial need and risk (or the the ‘front door’ of child protection)
– The other type looks a particular theme or cohort of children, currently the focus is on the multi-agency response to serious youth violence
Each focus is subject to change periodically.
This is an inspection of the local area arrangements (Not individual agencies) and how leaders, managers and professionals work together to identify and respond to serious youth violence including exploitation. The scope for this JTAI will be children ten years old and older. The agencies within scope of this inspection are the Police, Children’s Social Care, Education, Youth Justice Service, relevant Health services (i.e., Maternity services, emergency and urgent care, ambulance trust, public health nursing and emotional well-being and mental health services, sexual health services), Community Safety Partnership and relevant commissioned services.
Inspectors will evaluate:
• If agencies work effectively together, including sharing and analysing information, understanding risk and the implications of serious youth violence within the local community, and using this information to inform decision making to reduce risk and evaluate impact of interventions.
• If children and families get the help and support, they need.
• If the safeguarding needs of all children are addressed through strengths-based practice, which builds trusting relationships; is based on a good understanding of children’s experiences, including barriers to accessing help and support, and is recorded through dynamic assessments and plans.
• Partners understand the experiences that can contribute to children being violent and avoid the unnecessary criminalisation of children.
• If leaders understand the causes and consequences of serious youth violence and target resources on prevention and early intervention, using evidence-based approaches.
• The effectiveness of the NYSCP in monitoring and evaluating the work of statutory partners.
• If professionals and support staff have appropriate workforce skills, knowledge, and capacity to support children and families effectively and that these professionals and support staff are supported.
Children’s experiences will be evaluated against 21 criteria which describe what a “Good” service looks like, looking for strengths, areas for improvement and areas for priority action. The findings report for the local area will be narrative based not judgement based, i.e., “Requires Improvement,” “Good” etc.
Who undertakes the Inspection?
Inspectors from:
– Ofsted – two social care inspectors – one will be the lead inspector,
– Ofsted – one school’s inspector
– Care Quality Commission (CQC) – two inspectors
– Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) – two inspectors
What does activity consist of?
Inspectors will be focusing on children’s experiences and progress and will prioritise gathering evidence about direct practice with children and families.
Inspectors will:
– Undertake case sampling
– Undertake case tracking (a more in-depth look at practice and at least five cases will be selected from performance and management information provided in advance of the on-site activity (week 3)
– Evaluate the quality and impact of audits undertaken locally
– Interview practitioners, managers, leaders and stakeholders
– Speak with children, young people and families
– Meet with representatives of our multi-agency safeguarding arrangements (WSCP)
– Review documents, performance and management information
– Observe practice and multi-agency meetings, e.g. ICPC, Strategy Meeting, Multi-agency Panels etc.
How long does the inspection last?
Inspection Timeline
Week 1- Inspectors Off Site
– Notification usually on a Monday, 10 working days before the fieldwork begins
– Annex A information (Prescribed child level data) is provided, along with a list of multi-agency audits completed in the last 6 months.
– Inspectors select 30 children and further information is provided on these cases.
– Five children’s cases are selected for local partners to audit on a single and multi-agency basis.
Week 2 – Inspectors Off Site
– The local authority and partner agencies complete the audit of the five cases selected, submit key documents for each case and share their findings with the inspectorate.
– Preparatory work for the on-site timetable begins.
– Additional performance and management information is provided to the Inspectors by the local authority, the Police and relevant Health services.
– Inspectors may meet virtually with local leaders, staff and any stakeholders relevant to the scope of this inspection.
Week 3 – Inspectors On Site
– Fieldwork takes place Monday to Friday and inspection activity listed above is undertaken by inspectors.
– Inspection findings are fed back to the local partnership on Friday.
Weeks 4 and 5 – Inspectors Off Site
Ofsted draft the findings letter for the local partnership
Week 6
Draft findings report sent to the local partnership on Friday of week 6 (15 working days after fieldwork).
Weeks 7 and 8
Director of Children’s Services has 9 working days to co-ordinate comments from the partner agencies as part of a factual accuracy check of the report. Comments are returned to inspectors by Thursday of week 8
Week 10
Final findings report is sent to local partners on Monday of week 10 and this is an embargoed version until Friday of this week when the report is published and available to the public.
What is happening in North Yorkshire?
There is a multi-agency JTAI working group which is co-ordinated by the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership. The function of the group is to support preparation, self-assess and digest learning identified from JTAI’s in external areas.
For further information on the work of the group please contact NYSCP – nyscp@northyorks.gov.uk
View all our news